SECTION CLVI
"Vaisampayana said, 'After that night had passed away, king Duryodhana, O
Bharata, distributed (in proper order) his eleven Akshauhinis of troops.
And arranging his men, elephants, cars, and steeds, into three classes,
viz., superior, middling, and inferior, the king distributed them amongst
his divisions (by placing them in the van, centre, and rear of the
ranks). And furnished with timber and planks for repairing the damages
their cars might sustain in the press of battle, with large quivers borne
on cars, with tiger-skins and other stiff leather for enveloping the
sides of cars, with barbed javelins to be hurled by the hand, with
quivers borne on the backs of steeds and elephants, with long-handled
spears of iron and missiles, with quivers borne on the backs of
foot-soldiers with heavy clubs of woods, with flagstaffs and banners,
with long heavy shafts shot from bows, with diverse kinds of nooses and
lassoes, with armour of various kinds, with short-pointed clubs of wood,
with oil, treacle, and sand, with earthen pots filled with poisonous
snakes, with pulverised lac and other inflammable matter, with short
spears furnished with tinkling bells, with diverse weapons of iron, and
machines, for hurling hot treacle, water, and stones, with whistling
clubs of hard wood, with wax and heavy mallets, with clubs of wood having
iron spikes, with plough-poles and poisoned darts, with long syringes for
pouring warm treacle and planks of cane, with battle-axes and forked
lances with spiked gauntlets, with axes and pointed iron-spikes, with
cars having their sides covered with skins of tigers, and leopards, with
sharp-edged circular planks of wood, with horns, with javelins and
various other weapons of attack, with axes of the kuthara species, and
spades, with cloths steeped in oil, and with clarified butter, the
divisions of Duryodhana, glittering with robes embroidered with gold and
decked with various kinds of jewels and gems and consisting of warriors
endued with handsome persons, blazed forth like fire. And cased in coats
of mail and well-skilled in weapons, accomplished in horse-lore, brave
persons of good birth were employed as car-drivers. And all the cars were
furnished with various drugs, and with horses having rows of bells and
pearls on their heads, and with banners and flagstaffs, and with
ornaments gracing their steeples and turrets and with shields, swords,
and lances, and javelins and spiked maces. And unto each of those cars
were yoked four steeds of the best breed. And upon each of them were kept
a hundred bows. And each car had one driver in charge of the couple of
steeds in front, and two drivers in charge of the couple of steeds
attached to the wheels on the two sides. And both of the last-mentioned
drivers were skilled car-warriors, while the car-warrior himself was also
skilled in driving steeds. And thousands of cars thus furnished and
decked with gold, and protected like fortified town and incapable of
being conquered by foes, were stationed on all sides. And the elephants
also were furnished with rows of bells and pearls and decked with diverse
ornaments. And on the back of each of those animals, mounted seven
warriors. And in consequence of such accoutrements those animals looked
like hills graced with jewels. And amongst the seven, two were armed with
hooks, two were excellent bowmen, two were first-rate swords-men, and
one, O king, was armed with a lance and trident. And, O king, the army of
the illustrious Kuru king, teemed with innumerable infuriate elephants,
bearing on their backs loads of weapons and quivers filled with arrows.
And there were also thousands of steeds ridden by brave soldiers
accoutred in mail, decked in ornaments, and furnished with flags. And
numbering in hundreds and thousands, all those steeds were free from the
habit of scratching the ground with their forehoofs. And they were all
well-trained, and decked with ornaments of gold, and exceedingly obedient
to their riders. And of foot-soldiers, there were hundreds of thousands
of diverse mien, accoutred in armours of diverse kinds and armed also
with weapons of diverse species, and decked with golden ornaments. And
unto each car, were assigned ten elephants, and unto each elephant ten
horses, and unto each horse ten foot-soldiers, as protectors. Again, a
large body of troops was kept as a reserve for rallying the ranks that
would be broken. And this reserve consisted of cars, unto each of which
were attached fifty elephants; and unto each elephant were attached a
hundred horses; and unto each horse were attached seven foot-soldiers.
Five hundred cars, as many elephants (fifteen hundred horses, and two
thousand five hundred foot-soldiers) constitute a Sena. Ten Senas
constitute a Pritana; and ten Pritanas, a Vahini. In common parlance,
however, the words Sena, Vahini, Pritana, Dhwajini, Chamu, Akshauhini,
and Varuthini are used in the same sense.
'It was thus that the intelligent Kaurava arrayed his force. Between the
two sides, the total number was eighteen Akshauhinis. Of this, the
Pandava force consisted of seven Akshauhinis, while the Kaurava force
consisted of ten Akshauhinis and one more. Five times fifty men
constitute a Patti. Three Pattis make a Senamukha or Gulma. Three Gulmas
make a Gana. In Duryodhana's army, there were thousands and hundred of
such Ganas consisting of warriors capable of smiting (the foe) and
longing for battle. And the mighty-armed king Duryodhana, selecting from
among them brave and intelligent warriors, made them the leaders of his
troops. And placing an Akshauhini of troops under each of those best of
men, viz., Kripa, Drona, Salya, Jayadratha, the king of the Sindhus,
Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas, Kritavarman, Drona's son
(Aswatthaman), Karna, Bhurisravas, Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and the
mighty Vahlika, the king used to bring them daily before him and at all
hours, and speak to them. And he repeatedly offered them worship before
his very eyes. And thus appointed, all warriors, with all their
followers, became desirous of doing what was most agreeable to the king.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 156 ---------------------
